03/19 16:21 CDT Relatively speaking, women's NCAA field is a family affair
Relatively speaking, women's NCAA field is a family affair
By DOUG FEINBERG
AP Basketball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --- Carly Fabbri grew up dreaming of wearing a Quinnipiac uniform
and playing for her mom.
She's left her mark for the Bobcats, going 113-25 in her four years at the
school where her mother, Tricia, has coached since 1995. While they aren't the
first mother/daughter combo in women's basketball, they have been able to build
a program into a consistent NCAA Tournament team and that's something they will
always share.
"It's been a lot of fun. I've watched her my entire life coach. Just being able
to have the opportunity to play for her has been awesome," Carly Fabbri said.
"Obviously, we've won a lot and that's been incredible. These past two seasons
especially, being able to get to the NCAA Tournament, making that historic run
last year.
"Obviously, trying to make some more magic happen this year. She's a really
hard worker. It's great to see success and being able to be part of it is
really special, so again, just trying to make more magic happen this year, but
it's been a really fun ride."
The Bobcats could be done for the season Monday night unless they shock women's
basketball and beat top-seeded UConn. Coach Fabbri will always cherish the past
four years.
"It's so special and it's so special to do this with her because of where the
program is and how much it means to her," she said. "She's been just as
invested as the head coach. That's pretty special to say."
This year's women's tournament had a lot of familial bonds. There were 11 pairs
of sisters in the tournament when it started. That has been whittled down over
the opening weekend.
University of Buffalo twins Katherine and Liisa Ups came to the upstate school
from Australia. Having each other to lean on nearly 10,000 miles from home has
made it a lot easier for the seniors, who play against Florida State on Monday.
They admit they didn't know what they were getting into coming to Buffalo. An
assistant coach told them that it wasn't cold in the city.
"She was originally from Las Vegas and hadn't actually spent a winter in
Buffalo when she recruited us," Liisa Ups remembered, laughing. "It was her
first summer there."
Katherine Ups quickly chimed in, "She lied."
The identical twins said they haven't pulled many tricks on their teammates or
coaches, but laugh that some of them still can't tell them apart.
"I think some days coach Jack is trying to figure it out," Katherine Ups said.
Liisa said that most people got it pretty quickly which sister was which
although her roommate still calls her "twin" sometimes.
Missouri sisters Bri and Cierra Porter are two of eight siblings in their
family. Two of their brothers play on the Missouri men's team that also lost in
the NCAA Tournament.
Going anywhere but Missouri was never really up for debate when they were
younger.
"The head coach is our aunt. She talked about us playing for her since we were
really little," Porter said. "Then when I was a freshman in high school and my
sister was an eighth-grader we just gave her a verbal commitment. So it's
honestly been like forever that we've been planning on it."
Bri Porter has been sidelined since injuring a knee ligament in 2016. Having
her sister around has made it a little easier.
"That's really helped me stay emotionally engaged just because some part of me
does feel like it's on the court when she is because my heart is so close to
hers so when she succeeds I feel like I succeed," she said. "So that's been
helpful to me for sure. It's not easy to just sit on the sides all the time."
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AP Sports Writers Janie McCauley, Pat Eaton-Robb and Joe Reedy contributed to
this story.